Android expert needed!

[EMC1987]

I have never used android so I know very little about the os. I do know about some apps that are available though and just discovered the “activity” feed and “frequently contacted” in email. I can see in the google play store that the “Vault” app was downloaded to hide certain information (pics/videos/chats). If someone uses this app, how would it appear in the activity feed? Is this one that can be disguised as a clock or calculator? I see a bunch of activity for a deskclock app and can’t understand why a clock app would be used so many times a day. And are APK apps used in a way that would relate to the hiding/secrecy? There was was only one email in the “frequently contacted” and no one in the contacts. While knowing the FC list might not be accurate, could someone end up there at all if they were in fact not contacted? Sorry I know it’s a lot. I appreciate any help.

 

[Hadron]

One thing I'd like to check before answering anything: whose phone are we walking about? Because there are quite a few things in your post which suggest it's not your phone.

I will say that several of the things you mention are probably specific to the particular phone or app rather than general android operating system features, including this "frequent contacts" thing you mention. And that all android apps are "apk apps" (even the pre-installed system ones), so the only answer to that question is "the vast majority are not used for secrecy" .

And I'll add that there is more than one app called "Vault", and more than one that does what you describe, so we'd need to know exactly which app it is in order to say anything.

 

[EMC1987]

One thing I'd like to check before answering anything: whose phone are we walking about? Because there are quite a few things in your post which suggest it's not your phone.

I will say that several of the things you mention are probably specific to the particular phone or app rather than general android operating system features, including this "frequent contacts" thing you mention. And that all android apps are "apk apps" (even the pre-installed system ones), so the only answer to that question is "the vast majority are not used for secrecy" .

And I'll add that there is more than one app called "Vault", and more than one that does what you describe, so we'd need to know exactly which app it is in order to say anything.

Nope it’s not mine, a child’s. But if you don’t wish to help there is no need. Some people will understand and sympathize. I don’t see why helping a stranger understand technical things needs to be defended or explained.

 

[Hadron]

What you should consider is that we've no idea who a stranger is. If the stranger were actually an abusive, controlling partner would you want people to help them with that? So when someone asks questions that appear to be about getting information from someone else's phone, I hope you can see why some of us may be cautious.

Anyway if you want to know about "Vault" we'll still need to know which "Vault" app it is (this particular subforum is for a particular app, but if you just used the app name to choose it it may not be that one).

On your clock question, if the same app produces the clock widget on the desktop then it could be used quite a lot through the day. Or if it's an app with other functions (such as displaying weather as well as time) it could be updating information in the background. In short, it's quite possible to see ways in which such an app might appear frequently in the activity (and if you are wondering whether it's the Vault app in disguise, how often do you think that might be active?).

I also did give you some answers in my original post, even if they weren't what you'd hoped. Telling you that the "frequent contacts" thing is not a general Android feature but a feature of the specific app also tells you that we need to know which app it is before anyone can say anything useful about its behaviour.

 

[ocnbrze]

first off welcome to AF!!!!!!!!!!!!

just to backup @Hadron, we do see similar situations like yours where the situation was a cheating boyfriend/girlfriend.......or as @Hadron said an abusive boyfriend/girlfriend. without knowing the details, you can't blame him. he is only trying to help, and i see no disrespect in his first post to you.

i'm very sorry that you took his post the wrong way. i have found that AF members are only here to help others. i have come to think know my fellow AF members as family. over time you will find that all we want to do is to help, and that we mean well.

now let's try and answer some questions for you:

I can see in the google play store that the “Vault” app was downloaded to hide certain information (pics/videos/chats). If someone uses this app, how would it appear in the activity feed? Is this one that can be disguised as a clock or calculator?

it will depend on the app. there are a quite a few vault apps in the play store so it will depend on the app.

I see a bunch of activity for a deskclock app and can’t understand why a clock app would be used so many times a day. And are APK apps used in a way that would relate to the hiding/secrecy?

again which app are we talking about? and just to be sure we are talking about the same thing, are you talking about Google's My Activity when you are talking about activity feed? as far as apk's goes, they are not used to hide things but rather to get apps that are either no longer available on the play store or just not offered on the play store.

There was was only one email in the “frequently contacted” and no one in the contacts. While knowing the FC list might not be accurate, could someone end up there at all if they were in fact not contacted?

as far "frequently contacted" for emails goes, i use gmail and i do not have this option. so what email app are we talking about?

and just a thought, have you tried any of the many parenting apps that would keep the phone more in your control? it is something you might want to think about.

here are some articles for you to check out:
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/android-parental-controls-3461359/
https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/15/g...ts-own-parental-control-software-for-android/

 

[mikedt]

Nope it’s not mine, a child’s. But if you don’t wish to help there is no need. Some people will understand and sympathize. I don’t see why helping a stranger understand technical things needs to be defended or explained.

Help us to help you...

Because I can see at least 50 apps called "Vault" in the Play Store. So I think we'd need to know which app it is, in order to give any useful advice and explanation.

 

[EMC1987]

Sorry for not seeing any of these responses earlier! I figured I would get a notification if there were replies but I must have missed them. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

I am sorry that I took the initial post, asking whose phone I was inquiring about, the wrong way. I am just frustrated in general and shouldn't have taken it out on you. I have just had experiences where people knew the answers but didn't tell me because children deserve their privacy and freedoms. They obviously aren't parents. This isn't about porn, or sending nudes or whatever else people usually associate with phone "spying". Believe me, porn doesn't get hidden as well, which is what makes this suspicious activity more concerning. Anyway....

I wrote my original post linked to the Vault app I was referring to. I'm not sure if it's visible to people are they see the post... but it's called nq Vault.
I'm not sure how to describe the desktop clock app other than it's listed as "com.android.deskclock" When I try to look up it just seems like a normal clock but how much it appears in the activity feed and the times it's used are never for setting alarms/turning alarms on or off... even checking the time this frequently doesn't make sense... So that's why I asked. It could very well be a normal clock app (again, I have never used an android personally so I have very little detail or even knowledge to help explain things any further).

As far as the frequently contacted, when I go to contacts I see that as an option to choose and that is where I see this one lone e-mail address. I looked at my gmail account as well and I have that option to see too, so I'm not sure why you wouldn't have it in your gmail account.